Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than New London
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 82°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 79°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 86% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 68–82°.
A year in New London at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about New London’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with New London’s place in Minnesota beside it.
What a year in New London feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New London, MN, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts New London’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at New London, MN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in New London
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at New London, MN.
Living with New London’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in New London from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →New London and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around New London yet.
Climates most like New London’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New London, MN | 3° | 82° | 29" | 50" |
| Rice Lake, WI | 3° | 80° | 33" | 53" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Sheldon, IA | 7° | 84° | 30" | 41" |
| Harrisburg, SD | 8° | 84° | 29" | 49" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in New London averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How New London compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with New London’s place among Minnesota’s.
New London weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at New London’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New London, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 3° | 0.7" | 10.3" | 5 | 26 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 7° | 0.8" | 9.1" | 5 | 25 | 5° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 20° | 1.5" | 8.4" | 6 | 16 | 19° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 2.6" | 4.7" | 7 | 2 | 33° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 36° | 2.4" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 23° | 1.3" | 9.0" | 5 | 7 | 21° – 42° |
| December | 26° | 10° | 0.9" | 7.9" | 5 | 20 | 3° – 26° |
| Year | 53° | 33° | 29.0" | 50.2" | 86 | 96 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 25°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where New London’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at New London’s center.
- Snow: New London, MN (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New London, MN, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about New London’s climate
What is the weather like in New London?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 104 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in New London in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does New London get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at New London, MN, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 96 days a year.
How hot does it get in New London?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (New London, MN).
When is the first and last frost in New London?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 152 frost-free days, at New London, MN.
What growing zone is New London in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit New London?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is New London getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in New London.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.